CNN Founder Ted Turner Has Died
- 6.05.2026, 18:08
- 1,354
The American businessman has had a significant impact on the development of global television.
CNN founder Ted Turner has died in his 88th year, CNN reported, citing a press release from Turner Enterprises.
In 2018, Turner announced he had been diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, a progressive brain disease. In early 2025, the media mogul was hospitalized with a mild form of pneumonia; after treatment at a rehabilitation center, he recovered.
Turner is survived by five children, fourteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide's 24-hour broadcast network Mark Thompson called Turner an extremely involved and dedicated fearless leader, always willing to trust his own judgment.
"He has been and always will be the spiritual backbone of CNN. Ted is a giant on whose shoulders we stand, and today we will all honor his memory and appreciate his impact on our lives and the world," Thompson said in a statement.
Turner, who had a significant impact on the development of global television, began his career in advertising and in 1970 bought a regional TV station in Atlanta, launching his media empire, according to the Turner Enterprises website.
In 1976, Turner bought the Atlanta Braves baseball club and launched TBS Superstation, which became the first "superstation" in the United States. In 1980, he founded CNN, the world's first 24-hour news television channel, a key breakthrough in the industry.
In the following years, his company, Turner Broadcasting System, created a number of major media assets, including CNN International, TNT, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. The company merged with Time Warner in 1996 and with AOL in 2001. Turner left management in the early 2000s, and his former assets are now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Forbes magazine estimated his fortune at $2.8 billion in 2026.
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